Bullying is broadly considered to be "unpleasant aggressive behavior" that is "performed in real or perceived as an imbalance of power," and this behavior is usually repeated. Bullying is one of the most formidable challenges faced by young people today, and as a result, it has become an important issue in serious discussion among teachers, parents and community members. If you or someone else is experiencing bullying yourself, read the following suggestions for solving this problem.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Involve Adults
Step 1. Find authorized people who can help
Bullies like to pressure others because they think they have the power to do this, when they don't. Look for people who should be responsible for helping because stopping bullying is a responsibility they must fulfill.
Step 2. If the adult you first spoke to couldn't help, try finding someone else
In recent years, bullying has become a serious discussion issue that is difficult to ignore. In the past, adults used to only suggest that young people try to solve their own problems or simply tell the victims of bullying to ignore the person who bullied them, but with the increasing sensitivity of the issue, this advice is no longer acceptable. The National Institutes of Health (federal agency) and the American Academy of Pediatrics have websites dedicated to anti-bullying efforts and the many responses that come in can be an indication of the importance of raising awareness about bullying. There are adults who haven't received this message, but more and more people have come to understand that bullying is completely intolerable.
Step 3. Talk to your parents
The bad news is that there are adults who won't listen to you, but if they won't listen to you, at least they should listen to your parents. School principals and others dealing with youth sometimes do not appreciate the youth they work with enough, but usually they cannot resist input from parents as authorities by placing youth under their supervision. If they still refuse to handle the situation, your parents could at least consider removing you from the environment. But they can't do this unless you talk to them.
Method 2 of 3: Facing It Alone
Step 1. Be confident
Bullies usually choose people who appear weak or overly cautious. If necessary, pretend to appear confident. You'll find out later that you really believe in yourself.
Don't avert your eyes when the bully sees you. Stay calm, acknowledge that they exist, and move on with what you really want to do. If you look scared or seem like you have a problem with them, this will only make them feel like they have power over you
Step 2. Deal with the bully
You don't have to physically fight them or threaten to attack them, but you can show them that you're not afraid. This is not an easy thing, but you have to do it. Bullies are always looking for victims, and you won't be targeted if you refuse to be treated as a victim.
Step 3. Make your circle of friends wider
Bullies usually target people who like to be alone. If you have a lot of friends, they may not be focused on you. There are two main reasons for this. First, if the bully intends to physically attack you, the presence of a friend will make it appear that you are with someone else beside you. Also, what a bully says that likes to insult other people will mean nothing to your friends who really know and appreciate you.
Step 4. Remember that you are not defined by what the bully says or does
Other people's words and actions don't define your importance because you have your own values, and no aspect of your life connected to a bully should be tied to the things that really matter to you.
Method 3 of 3: Expressing Your Attitude to Bullying in Cyberspace
Step 1. Know the intentions of the bully
Bullying that occurs in cyberspace can be more complex than bullying that often occurs in everyday life. Although bullying is aimed at making the perpetrators have power over others, cyber bullying is often done anonymously. People who spread gossip or try to embarrass others online may feel powerful, but their goal is more often than not to damage someone's reputation. Nor do they limit their audience to people who personally know them or are victims of their aggressive actions. Therefore, bullying in cyberspace is difficult to stop and difficult to predict.
Step 2. Talk to your parent or guardian
They should know if you are being threatened or humiliated. There are complex steps you must take in order to free yourself from a bully, and you must inform your parent or guardian of the situation as soon as possible.
Step 3. Consider the options you want to take
Because of the complexity of bullying in cyberspace, there is almost no easy solution to this problem, but there are options that are less suitable when used in cases of bullying that occur in everyday life.
- In most cases, principals will do little to address cases of cyber bullying because they have almost no authority to intervene, unless there is evidence to suggest that the perpetrators of these crimes used school property to bully online.
- Internet service providers and companies like Facebook consider cyber bullying a serious issue, and they may be able to intervene if you contact them. You can also block their account on certain sites.
- There are legal options available to you and your family. Web content can be irrefutable evidence of defamation or threats. As a result of new state and federal laws, threats of crimes committed online can result in long prison sentences. If this seems like a somewhat extreme solution, remember that you are not without options and that you do have the power to change the situation.
Step 4. Have a confrontation with the bully
While this is part of a standard program for dealing with traditional bullying, it can also be the quickest way to end it. Show that you don't feel intimidated by online bullies. Just ignore what they post and remove the hurtful comments if you can.
Step 5. Stay away from bullies
This is another recommended way of dealing with bullies, but it often doesn't work. It can be hard to ignore someone right in front of you, but it's easier to do it online. As a last resort, if other methods don't work, you can close all your internet accounts. If this online connection is very important to you, start creating a new account to replace the old one, but take steps to stop bullies from following you again.
